The 3DS uses three cameras and a motion sensor to create the 3-D effect, which is adjustable by the user. More than 30 games will be available by early June, many of them in 3-D, Nintendo said.

The 3DS will sell for US$250 and make its U.S. debut on March 27. Sales in Europe are scheduled to begin on March 25 and Japanese sales will begin on Feb 26.

Analysts believed that the 3DS launch should be a major catalyst for the game industry, for there is more pent-up demand for the product than any other consumer electronics device in the market.

Nintendo's dominance in portable gaming will be tested by Sony Corp.'s (TYO:6758) (NYSE:SNE) new PSP, as well as by Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and smartphones using Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android software. According to private sources, Sony will introduce a new version of its competing PlayStation Portable handheld on Jan. 27, followed by a game-playing smartphone from Sony Ericsson.